David Furnish
| birth_place = Toronto, Ontario, Canada | death_date = | death_place = | occupation = Film maker, producer, director | education = Sir John A. Macdonald Collegiate Institute (1981) University of Western Ontario (1985) | years_active = 1997–present | spouse = | children = 2 | residence = Old Windsor, Berkshire, England }} David James Furnish (born 25 October 1962) is a Canadian filmmaker and former advertising executive. He is married to English musician Sir Elton John. Early life and education David Furnish was born in Toronto, Ontario, the son of Gladys and Jack Furnish, a director at the Bristol-Myers pharmaceutical company. He has an older brother, John, and a younger brother, Peter. Furnish graduated from the Sir John A. Macdonald Collegiate Institute in 1981 and received an Honours Business Administration undergraduate degree from the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario in 1985. Career He was recruited by the advertising agency Ogilvy & Mather, eventually transferred to the London, England, office and was appointed to their Board. Furnish is co-chief of Rocket Pictures along with his husband, Sir Elton John. Furnish serves on the board of the Elton John AIDS Foundation, attending fundraisers and other events in support of that cause. Furnish is a contributing editor for Tatler magazine and also is a regular columnist for Interview and GQ. In 2015, he was named one of GQ s 50 best dressed men in Britain. In June 2019, to mark the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots, Queerty named him, along with John, as one of the Pride50 "trailblazing individuals who actively ensure society remains moving towards equality, acceptance and dignity for all queer people". Personal life Furnish began a relationship with singer Elton John in 1993. John proposed to Furnish in May 2005 at a dinner party with friends and family at one of their homes in Old Windsor. Furnish and John entered into a civil partnership on 21 December 2005, the first day that civil partnerships could be performed in England, in the town of Windsor, Berkshire. Their first child, son Zachary Jackson Levon Furnish-John, was born in December 2010 in California via surrogacy. In January 2013, the couple's second son, Elijah Joseph Daniel Furnish-John, was born through the same surrogate. After same-sex marriage became legal in England and Wales in March 2014, John and Furnish retroactively converted their civil partnership into a marriage and marked the occasion with a ceremony in Windsor, Berkshire, on 21 December 2014, the ninth anniversary of their civil partnership. Filmography *''Elton John: Tantrums & Tiaras; director (1997) *''Women Talking Dirty; producer (1999) *''Desert Flower''; co-producer (1999) *''Kofi Annan: Center of the Storm''; executive producer (2002) *Fame and Fashion: Inside Gucci – Sex and Fashion''; director, script writer (2002) *''Fame and Fashion: Inside Versace – Fame and Fashion; director, script writer (2002) *''It's a Boy Girl Thing; producer (2006) *''Pride and Predator; producer (announced 2009) *''Gnomeo & Juliet; producer (2011) *Billy Elliot the Musical Live; executive producer (2014) *''Virtuoso; executive producer (2015) *''Sherlock Gnomes; producer (2018) *Rocketman; producer (2019) Television *''Spectacle: Elvis Costello with...; producer (2008) Theatre *''Billy Elliot the Musical; executive producer (March 2005) References Further reading *"Elton's Rocket Man". (1 Sept. 2001). ''The Observer. *"Elton and David to tie the knot". (25 Nov. 2005). iAfrica.com. *"An Ideal Husband". (March 2006). Toronto Life. *"Wherefore art thou 'Gnomeo'?". (20 Aug 2008) Hollywood Reporter. *"News - EltonJohn.com. (16 Jan 2013). External links * Category:1962 births Category:Living people Category:Businesspeople from London Category:Businesspeople from Toronto Category:Canadian expatriates in England Category:Canadian film producers Category:Elton John Category:Film directors from London Category:Film directors from Toronto Category:LGBT businesspeople from Canada Category:LGBT producers Category:University of Western Ontario alumni